Daniel Jones: 'Little awkward' with Eli Manning on roster in 2019

Daniel Jones has opened up about Eli Manning's presence on the Giants last season. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Jones: 'Little awkward' with Eli Manning on Giants roster in 2019

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 5/13/20

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman surprised many around the NFL world when he selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth pick of the 2019 NFL Draft while Big Blue still had two-time Super Bowl signal-caller Eli Manning on the roster.

While Manning began the year in New York's starting lineup, the Giants turned the keys to the offense over to their rookie after the club lost its first two games of the campaign.

The transition wasn't without some bumps.

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Jones reiterated similar comments recently made by Manning and admitted things behind the scenes were "a little awkward at times" with both men in the QB room. The 22-year-old also credited Manning for the veteran's leadership.

Eli Manning said last week things were "probably awkward" for Daniel Jones last year, with Eli still on the team.

Was it? Says Jones: "Looking back thee was probably a little awkward at times. We did a good job of working together. I enjoyed working with him and ... pic.twitter.com/vfUSlNDOzA
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) May 13, 2020

(more Jones) "... certainly learned a ton from him. I don’t know. It’ll certainly be different. But I really enjoyed working with Eli last year. It was a huge advantage for me to learn from him and talk to him every day."
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) May 13, 2020

Jones added that he realizes must take better care of the football throughout his second NFL season.

Daniel Jones on his focus going into year two: "the biggest thing is ball security, particularly in the pocket, protecting the ball... that's a fundamental skill at the QB position... to me, it's a fairly simple fix, a mindfulness... being more intentional with it"
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) May 13, 2020

Per Pro-Football-Reference, Jones tallied an NFL-worst 18 fumbles despite appearing in only 13 games his debut year.

Things weren't all bad for Jones and the Giants last fall, as he provided fans with handfuls of reasons to believe he can follow in Eli's footsteps and win a couple of championships over the next 10-15 years.